


you'll be missing out, and we'll be missing you

by bazerella



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Angst, Hopeful Ending, M/M, No Beta, runaways - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 02:01:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28574169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bazerella/pseuds/bazerella
Summary: At the very bottom of the left corner was a crumpled up piece of printer paper. Neil reached out and ripped the paper off the board. On the top it said ‘missing person’, followed by the dimensions and information about the missing person. Neil didn’t need to read them because he already knew them like the back of his hand.Five feet even. Blonde hair. Hazel eyes. Last seen wearing a black t-shirt, faded blue jeans, and black armbands.(In which Neil discovers his partner in crime is not a runaway like him and makes a decision)
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 18
Kudos: 127





	you'll be missing out, and we'll be missing you

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first like "angsty" fic and i couldn't even make it completely angsty i had to make my boys soft and give them a hopeful ending. 
> 
> i hope you enjoy it <3
> 
> possible tw: at one point andrew is described as 'pleading' he doesn't actually say the word 'please' though but if you don't like that stop reading after andrew says "where are we?"

It was 6:32pm on a Wednesday night in some shit town just outside of Athens, Georgia when Neil saw it. 

It was his turn to get enough food and drink to last them for another two weeks so he had left Andrew at the motel and made his way to the corner store. As he was checking out he splurged on a brand new pack of cigarettes that he knew would make Andrew happy. This life wasn’t easy and he could tell Andrew was close to a breakdown. Neil had hoped that maybe this would help. 

Neil shoved all the goods in his backpack and planned on walking back to the motel. But something caught his eye before he could start his journey. Outside the corner store was a bulletin board. Neil wasn't sure what exactly about it made him do a double-take. It was a fairly average looking bulletin board. It had posters for various local businesses, a few lost dog posters, help wanted signs. Nothing out of the ordinary. 

Except for one thing. 

At the very bottom of the left corner was a crumpled up piece of printer paper. Neil reached out and ripped the paper off the board. On the top it said ‘missing person’, followed by the dimensions and information about the missing person. Neil didn’t need to read them because he already knew them like the back of his hand. 

_ Five feet even. Blonde hair. Hazel eyes. Last seen wearing a black t-shirt, faded blue jeans, and black armbands.  _

There in the center of the page was a photograph of Andrew. Underneath was a number to call if you think you saw the missing boy. 

Neil’s mind flashbacked to one of the first conversations he had with Andrew. Before he agreed to take Andrew with him. 

_ “Don’t bullshit me,” Neil had said. “Will anyone come looking for you?”  _

_ “No,” Andrew said. Confidently. With defiance. Neil should have known better.  _

Neil’s hands moved without thinking. He had his crappy burner phone in his hand before he could even think about it. He hadn’t realized he pressed the call until he heard a voice on the other end. 

“Listen, if this is a prank call, I’m not in the mood.” 

“It’s not a prank call,” Neil said. 

The person on the other end paused. “It’s not that I don’t believe you,” The person said, “But I’ve been getting tons of prank calls lately ever since the posters went up and I’m just tired, okay? I want my brother back and I just really cannot deal with some fuck thinking it’s funny to pretend that they’ve seen him.” 

“Brother?” Neil asked. Andrew never mentioned a brother. Or any family for that matter. 

The person on the phone sighed. “I’m hanging up.” 

“No!” Neil said. “I’m sorry,” The apology tasted foul on his tongue. “I saw the poster and I- I’m missing a family member too. I just wanted to know if you’d found him.” 

The lie came out easily through Neil’s mouth. Though it wasn’t exactly a lie. Neil was missing a family member, but Neil knew exactly where she was. She was buried on the beach on the west coast. 

Andrew had never mentioned his family so Neil wasn’t about to throw him under the bus and admit to these people that he was alive and well. Neil knew this was bending Andrew’s trust, going behind his back to figure out what he’d run away from but all Neil wanted was for Andrew to be okay. And Neil was starting to think that Andrew being with him, was only going to hold him back. 

“Oh,” The person on the phone said. “No. We haven’t found him. I don’t think we’re going to.” 

“Why’s that?” 

“If Andrew wanted to be found, he’d be found. He ran away. And it’s my fault so he’s not coming back. I just...I just want to apologize to him, you know? We got in a fight, I said some shit and then he was gone. We’re twins actually, and we’ve been together since birth and I just feel completely empty now that he’s gone. God. I’m sorry. You’re a stranger I don’t know why I’m telling you this.” 

“It’s okay,” Neil said. “I hope you find him. I’ll let you go now.” 

“Thanks,” Neil could hear sniffling. “I hope you find your family too.” 

Neil hung up the phone and ignored the hammering in his chest. He knew what he had to do. Andrew wasn’t going to like it. But Neil knew it had to be done. 

When Neil arrived back at the motel, Andrew was sitting on the big queen sized bed with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Neil walked over and kissed his forehead, running a hand through his hair. 

Andrew’s blonde roots could be seen despite the light brown hair dye in his hair. 

“That took long,” Andrew said. 

“I got you a gift,” Neil said as he gave Andrew the brand new pack of cigarettes. “I think it’s been long enough if you want to go back to blonde.” 

Andrew fiddled with the cigarette pack. “Yeah?” 

Andrew had not been a fan of the dyeing of hair at the beginning. But Neil had said it was necessary for them to not get caught so Andrew had allowed Neil to dye his hair, in a very methodical and clinical way. 

“Yeah,” Neil said. “Let’s get started.” 

Neil brought a chair into the bathroom and sat Andrew down with a towel wrapped around his shoulders. When they first started this Andrew would sit, tense shouldered and all wound up. Now Andrew sat with his head tilted back and his eyes closed, in complete relaxation. Neil was overwhelmed with the trust Andrew had in him. He hated that he had to break it. 

Neil tilted Andrew’s head back gently to reach the sink after the allotted time to let the dye sit had passed. He brushed his fingers through Andrew’s now blonde-again hair and melted at the sighs Andrew was releasing. 

“All done,” Neil choked out. 

Andrew opened his eyes slowly and frowned at Neil, “Good?” 

“Always,” Neil forced a smile. If Andrew could tell it was forced he didn’t show it. 

“Are we leaving tomorrow?” Andrew asked as he dried his hair with the towel. 

“Yeah,” Neil busied himself with cleaning up the dye from the sink. “I’m thinking North.” 

Andrew didn’t seem phased in the slightest. No reaction to the fact that Neil was going to be taking them near Andrew’s home. 

The two got into bed together, each curled up on their sides facing the other. Andrew reached out first and Neil obliged and linked his hand with Andrew’s. 

“Truth for truth?” Neil asked. 

Andrew nodded. 

“What are you running from?” 

Andrew froze across from Neil. It wasn’t something they spoke about. They’d been on the move for about four months at this point but Andrew never questioned what Neil was running from and why he avoided the Northeast of America and in return Neil never bothered to ask what Andrew was doing alone at a bus stop with nothing but a small backpack filled with clothes in the first place. 

Andrew searched Neil’s face for what exactly, Neil wasn’t sure. 

“Expectations,” Andrew finally settled on. “The people I was with...they expect me to be a certain way and I can’t. Not anymore.” 

“They didn’t force you to leave though,” Neil said. 

Andrew’s eyebrows came together, “They never explicitly said ‘Andrew get out’, no. But something happened and people heal differently. I couldn’t heal the way they wanted me to. So it was better just to go.” 

Neil hummed in thought. “I guess I’m running from the same thing. People expect me to be just like my dad. They won’t accept that I don’t want to, so I left.” 

Andrew scooted closer to Neil until they were nose to nose. “It’s good we found each other,” Andrew said. “We don’t have to live up to any expectations here. We can just be.” 

Neil felt disturbingly like he was going to cry. He opted on smiling at Andrew, asking a simple yes or no and then moving in for a kiss. He wanted to savor this moment. Because he knew that after tonight, there was a very good chance he would never see Andrew again. 

Morning came and Neil went about his routine like he normally did. He packed both his and Andrew’s backpacks, making sure they were full with food, a change of clothes, and that their weapons were loaded and sharp. After checking out of the motel and taking almost all the muffins that were available at the free continental breakfast, Neil and Andrew started to walk toward a less populated area. 

They came across a park and ride where Andrew was quick to survey for any lurking civilians and Neil was even quicker to get the engine going on a shitty pick up truck. Andrew slid into the passenger seat and almost immediately knocked out. 

Neil felt guilty. Since meeting Neil, Andrew seemed to always be tired. That’s how Neil knew this was the right thing. 

Andrew was, simply put, one of the most wondrous people Neil had ever met. Neil could tell he was destined for more. To be more. A life on the run was holding Andrew back. Neil didn’t deserve Andrew. At least not yet. 

With Andrew asleep, Neil didn’t have to worry about Andrew figuring out his plan early on. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do if that happened. 

About three hours later Neil pulled up to an undisturbed beige house. The mailbox was falling apart but the little whitepicket fence surrounding the house was pristine. There was a tiny pride flag in one of the windows on the upper level of the house, and potted plants on the front porch. 

It looked like a home. 

Neil sighed and then moved his hand to tug on Andrew’s hair. Andrew awoke like he normally did, with immediate violence and then recognition and relaxation when he saw Neil. 

Andrew blinked. “Where are we?” 

Neil didn’t say anything. He kept his focus on the house that was standing strong behind Andrew. Andrew turned to see what Neil was staring at. Neil watched as the tension Neil had been so proud to ease off of Andrew’s shoulders coiled back up. 

“Neil,” Andrew said simply. Dangerously. With warning. 

Andrew tried, but Neil was faster. He caught the knife that Andrew had tried to sneakily take out of his armband and threw it to the ground. Andrew went to reach for another one but again, Neil was faster. 

“Andrew, you need to listen to me.” 

“Why are you doing this?” Andrew grit. Andrew didn’t stop fighting He lunged for Neil and Neil let him get exactly one punch in before he cupped Andrew’s face in his hands. Andrew’s own hands were death gripping Neil’s shoulders. His breathing was heavy and Neil wished that he wasn’t the one causing it all. 

“Andrew,” Neil said. “I love you. I have not known you very long but I am certain of my feelings for you. I want nothing more than it to just be the two of us.” 

“It can be.” Neil shook his head at the pleading sound in Andrew’s voice. “It can be just the two of us. You don’t have to do this.” 

“I love you, Andrew,” Neil repeated. “But this isn’t going to work like this. You have a family who misses you and loves you and I can’t be what keeps you from them. This life? Running, changing our names, our hair? You deserve so much more. I want you to have more.” 

Andrew shook his head, “I just want you.” 

Neil moved so their foreheads were touching. It was comforting for the two of them. 

“You can have me,” Neil said. “Just not yet. It’s not time yet.” 

Andrew pulled away and then raised his hand to wipe a tear on Neil’s cheek that he hadn’t even known was there. 

“Promise,” Andrew said. There was a demand in his voice as much as there was a plea. “Promise me that this isn’t the end.” 

“I promise,” Neil whispered. He placed a single kiss on Andrew’s knuckles. He was afraid if he kissed Andrew on the lips he wouldn’t ever let him go. “I love you, Andrew.” 

Andrew’s eyes were rushing across Neil’s face as though they were trying to commit every freckle and pore Neil had to memory. “I love you, Neil. Don’t break your promise.” 

“I won’t,” Neil said. 

Neil couldn’t watch as Andrew left the truck. He couldn’t watch as Andrew went up the steps to his home. Neil had to drive away when he heard the shriek of happiness from whoever opened the door and the crying that followed. 

Neil had to leave and of course he was sad. But he was also hopeful. This wasn’t the end. 

They were Andrew and Neil. Neil and Andrew. 

Their time was not now, but Neil knew it would be soon. 

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> hope you liked it! comments and kudos appreciated <3333 
> 
> come say hi on twiiter @ [bazerella](https://twitter.com/bazerella)
> 
> [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfhbVUTZn7A) that the title of the fic is based on


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